Editor's note: In recent years, many geophysicists have commented that the ongoing oil-industry megamergers and downsizings have virtually eliminated “mentoring”—an invaluable tradition by which veteran geophysicists pass along what they have learned to the next generation. During much of the history of exploration geophysics as a profession, this was viewed as a vital part of the geophysicist's postacademic training. In fact, some companies had multiyear training programs before newly hired geophysicists were sent into the field. These programs, along with oil-company research labs, have now vanished and many veteran geophysicists publicly worry that much knowledge will be lost. TLE cannot...